Short Bio
Krishna C Rao is a trained development expert and engineer with over 20 years of experience working in developing countries on provision of infrastructure service for underserved communities. Krishna ran a non-profit for a decade to nurture & finance entrepreneurs to provide infrastructure as service in underserved communities. Since last 10 years, he is assisting governments in South Asia and few countries in Africa to improve sanitation infrastructure & services. Krishna has worked as a researcher at International Water Management Institute to develop business models in sanitation & agriculture interface to promote circular economy and as a freelancer he has developed tools and written guidelines and policies on sanitation.
Presently, as a consultant to the World bank, he advises national and state governments in planning sanitation investments. Krishna is an advisor & management at Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Institute, a non-profit based out of India. At WASH Institute he supports national & state government in the implementation of Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission and develop its consultancy wing. Krishna also serves as a faculty to provide training to government officers and non-profits in providing sanitation services. Krishna has numerous publications on business models in sanitation and reuse of domestic & agro waste.
Motivation/Commitment to the GSC
My commitment to the GSC is to continue the good work done by the committee to ensure governance and financial oversight of SuSanA along with resource mobilisation for implementing its mission. In South Asia, there is limited awareness on SuSanA and there is need for greater engagement of people working in grassroot non-profits and local government officials to be part of SuSanA’s various working groups. I would want to see an expansion of membership in South Asia so as to ensure greater knowledge exchange amongst different regions in provision of sustainable sanitation services.
Is there anything else you would like to say to the SuSanA community?
One of my key interests is in promoting local entrepreneurship in provision of sustainable climate resilient infrastructure service. Globally, WASH lags behind in reforms and engagement of private sector in comparison to other infrastructure. Majority of local entrepreneurs involved in WASH are informal (sanitation workers) and not recognised despite providing critical services. The planning of WASH infrastructure is from a narrow lens and mostly technology driven with little or no consideration for development of sustainable business model. I would like to have latest learnings and resources provided especially from South Asian context for the members to apply in their respective regions so as to revolutionise WASH services.
In addition, I would want to create a conduit between the members and also South Asian committee of SuSanA so that member’s have their voices heard and SuSanA as a platform delivers the value add that the members are in need of for implementation of sustainable sanitation in their respective regions. In the longer run SuSanA needs to become a sanitation based social media platform so that members can harness other value add from SuSanA network including enhancing their respective careers in sanitation.
